There was this huge buying of the L.A. Galaxy tickets, and then he got injured, and people now have tickets with no good star soccer player.

Dispute over knighthood for Beckham

Officials in Britain are wrangling over whether former England football captain David Beckham should be given a knighthood, London's Evening Standard reported Thursday.

Civil servants have been asked to consider whether he is suitable for the top honour, awarded by Queen Elizabeth II, but some have argued that he should not be made Sir David because he is moving to play in the United States, the paper said.

"His name has been put forward but there is a view among some officials that it should not be approved while there is a conflict between his future as an England player and his contract with an American club," an unnamed source told the paper.

"Some officials feel that there is nothing wrong with honouring a player who is based in Europe and free to represent his country if required, but feel there is a big difference if the same player is earning his main income and paying tax in the United States and unable to play for England."

But a spokewoman for the Cabinet Office, which coordinates policy across departments, denied that such discussions had taken place and said that civil servants could not put the brakes on a nomination.

Beckham, 32, has just earned a recall to the England squad and is due to move from Real Madrid to LA Galaxy in Los Angeles in August.

His new club is reportedly concerned that his resurrected England career could clash with his commitments to them, hinting that he may not be released for non-competitive games.

He was awarded the lower OBE (Order of the British Empire) award in 2003 and could see that upgraded to a knighthood within a few months, either in premier Tony Blair's resignation honours list or the queen's birthday honours list.

As well as his footballing success, his claims for the top award are bolstered by his charity work and role in helping to secure the 2012 Olympics for London.

His wife, former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, who would become Lady Victoria if her husband was honoured, told the BBC last year: "It's just so camp, it's wonderful isn't it? Lady Victoria...that would be quite amazing."

Downing Street has refused to comment on the story, while royal officials never comment on likely recipients of gongs in advance.

http://uk.yahoo.com/r/ty/17/pt

What do you get if you combine Posh and Beck's brains together?

Sounds like a useful investment.

But maybe it is a his'n'her model? Seems like the diamonds would be a little rough on the user.

Posh got freaky looking when she went on the anorexia lifestyle...I'm sure she;s nice down to earth girl,

Thank god for the civil service. They always stop things like this. Im against the monachy anyway. But I hate these honours lists. They always honour footballers, pop stars, actors. How about honouring people who are actually useful. As Oscar Wilde said "all art is quite useless".

Spice Balls?

Ok ok, do you really want me to tell you?

yes please

who is beck ham?!

haha!!

jesus, thanks Kegmama, fuckin hell, turns out i could just fancy him.

hm how come i thought we had a thread for victoria. weird, that we dont?

after the past few years Los Angeles has come to simply adore David Beckham, even when he was injured. when he resigned LA soccer when NUTS as if he was still in his younger form.

Whatever else people may say about him, he always comes across as thoroughly decent. My mum thinks he should be the next king. seriously.

I know.....things...

Most played sport in the United States. I know I'm talking to 5 years ago. But did you all know that? The most played sport. How does that work, you ask? Absolutely zero representation in the media. The sports-media is built around adverts every x minutes (cf American Soccer, or American Football as you 'people' know it). So of course football doesn't work in that context. Yet people all over the United States play the fuck out of it.

It's crazy. Really crazy. I mean, not crazy in a sad way. Just insane, the lack of visibility the sport has, to the extent where a sports fan like Rob thinks it's something below par, like baseball, which is rounders, which is actually a sport only 12 year old girls play over here.

Have we got you fooled.

Nobody plays that shit. NOBODY.

HAVEN'T YOU A JUBILEE TEA TO ATTEND?? don't be late.

Where the fuck do you live? I live in LA. just about every baseball diamond and field of any kind of grass has been spontaneously converted to a soccer pitch. and news flash, organized youth soccer in middle America is thriving and growing faster than any other organized youth sport. people LOVE PLAYING soccer in America, just not watching it. I'd bet more people in Europe are PLAYING basketball then Americans and yet more Europeans are WATCHING soccer while I bet more Americans are PLAYING soccer than playing basketball but definitely WATCHING it.

Middle america?

Fuck Honduras.

Everyone I know plays Lacrosse.